Switch lock



E. KEENEY.

SWITCH LOCK. APPLlCATiON FILED OCT-25, 192l- 1,410,257. Patentd Mar. 21,1922..

' INVENTOR WITNESS V MERRILL E .KEE

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES MERRILL E. KEENEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SUIITCH' LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

Application filed October 25, 1921. Serial No. 510,249.

1 '0 all M [Lo m it may concern Be it known that I, l lERRILL I). Kramer, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful. Switch Look, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for preventing the accidental opening or closing of a railroad switch. One of the objects of the invention is the provision of means for antomatically locking the operating lever of a switch in its inoperative position so that movement of the locomotive and cars over the switch will not change its setting.

My invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said description, as i may adopt variant forms of my invention within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawing; the figure is an elevation of my device applied to a common standard switch stand. On main line tracks it is customary to pro-' vide locks for securing the switch operating means against unauthorized and accidental movement. In switching yards however, such locking means is impracticable and derailment, collisions and other accidents are not of uncommon occurrence because of accidental throwing of the switch due to impact of the wheels of locomotives or cars against the movable portions of the track. To obviate this diiiiculty readily removable locking pins are attached to the switch stand and the switchmen are placed under rigorously enforced rules as to the locking of the switch with these removable pins after each switching operation. In spite of all rules however it is found impossible to secure safety by such means and it is therefore the broad purpose of my invention to provide automatically operating means for blocking the movement of the operative lever ot' the switch from its inoperative position. Such means is readily disengageable from the lever so that it may be raised to operative position and the switch thrown, but when released by the hand it at once falls and when the lever is returned to inoperative position engages therewith to block its movement unless deliberately disengaged. When the operating lever is in inoperative position the 'sition and locking means can come to rest only in en gagement with the lever, therefore no specific attention is required and it becomes impossible for the switchman to leave a switch so that the impact of a passing train or car can disarrange the setting.

More particularly my device comprises a dog 2 having an arcuate end. The dog is pivotally mounted on an axis concentric with the arcuate portion upon the bracket 3 fixed rigidly to the target rod 4 of the switch stand. The pivotal mounting of the dog is directly above the operating handle 6 which is provided, adjacent its pivoted end, with an elongated lug 7 having the aperture 8 thcrethrough.

The aperture 8 is so positioned in the lug that when the handle 6 is engaged in the slot of the table 9, that is to say, when it is in the inoperative position, gravital movement of the dog engages the arcuate end in the aperture, thus blockingmovement of the lever until the dog is disengaged therefrom. Such gravital movement of the dog is i acilitated by a projection 11 thereon and this projection also serves as a handle or finger stop so that the dog may readily be disengaged.

Means are provided for preventing the dog from coming to restexcept in locking position when the lever is in inoperative poalso for preventing the dog from falling across the path of movement of the lever after it has been raised to operative position so as to prevent it from being lowered to inoperative position. Fixed on the bracket 3 is a stop l2 so placed as to interfere with movement of the dog and prevent it from being turned back on the bracket.

In other words the stop 12 prevents the dog from being turned into any position from which it does not fall toward the lever 6. The lug 7 is extended along the lever so that it provides a the dog impinges when the lever is raised to operative position and the dog released. For symmetrys sake it is'preferred to make the lug with its outer periphery concentric with the pivotal axis of the lever 6.

Operation The figure of the drawing shows the dog in engagement with the operating lever and blocking its movement from the inoperative position. If the switch is to be thrown, the switchman turns the dog out of engagement with the lug and throws the operating lever up to operating position,

stop against which the end ofreleasing the dog immediately after the upward movement of the lever is begun. No further attention to the dog is required. Its end impinges on the side of the lug, and when the lever is moved to its new position and lowered, the weight of the dog causes it to engage in the aperture as soon as the aperture is'in register with its end. Accidental movement of the operating lever is then blocked until the dog is once more disengaged by deliberate intent.

I claim:

1..The combination lever of a switch stand of a gravitally' operated dog for locking the lever in inoperative position.

2. The combination with the ooeratin L b lever of a switch stand of a gravitally operated dog for locking the lever in in operative position, and means for preventing the dog from coming; to rest except in loeking position. when the lever is in inoperative position.

3.-The combination with the operatinglever of a switch stand of a gravitally operated pivotally mounted doghaving an areuate end concentric with its pivotal axis,

and a lug on said lever having. an aperture in whichsaid dog is engageable' when the lever iscinoved to inoperative position,

4:. The combination with the operating lever of a switch stand of a gravitally operated, pivotally mounted dog having an arcuate end concentric with its pivotal axis, a lug on said lever; having an aperture in whichsaid dog is engageable when the lever.

is moved to inoperativeposition, and means for preventing the dog from coming to rest except inrsaid aperture when the lever is in inoperative position, i

5. The combination with the operating with the operating for preventing the dog from coming to rest except in engagement with said first named nieans when the lever is in inoperative position. r

6. The combination with the operating lover of a switch stand of a bracket fixed for movement with the operative movement of said lever, arcuate dog pivotally mounted on said bracket on an axis concentrio with its curvature, a lug on said lever having an aperture in which said dog is engageable when the lever is moved to inoperative position, a stop on said bracket for preventing said dog from coming to rest, and a stop on said lever for preventing said dog from premature locking of said lever.- I

7. The combination with the operating lever of a switch stand of a gravitally operated, pivotally mounted dog having an arcuate end concentric with its pivoted axis, a lug on said lever havingan aperture in which said dog isengageable when the lever is moved to inoperative position and extending; sufficiently on said lever to prevent said dog swinging across its path of movement when the lever is; moved out of its inoperative position.

S. The combination with the operating lever of a switch stand of a gravitally operated dog-,and means on said lever with which said dog is interlocked only when said lever is in inoperative position. v a a I In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set In hand. i I

y MERRILL n. KEENEY. 

